<i>"A senior administration official also not authorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY that the United States is asking Hong Kong to act quickly on the request or risk complicating relations between the two for failing to hand Snowden over as required by international law. "</i><p>So it's OK for senior administration officials to leak information without authorization, about trying to prosecute someone for leaking information without authorization...
Well this for we knew would happen. It was just a matter of time. Now we enter the undefined territory where we don't really know what to expect from the various levels of the Hong Kong court system, as well as potential Beijing influence in one way or even the polar opposite.
I have a hard time believing the US authorities want anyone to detain Snowden <i>besides</i> US authorities. He is, presumably, sitting on a big pile of classified but as-yet-unreleased information. Pure speculation (what fun!): perhaps Hong Kong law enforcement and the US know precisely where he is, but they are biding their time until they can get their ducks in a row for a US team to bring him back. All these public statements are just for show.
Chances US would extradite a Chinese dissident talking about CCP methods of oppression? Zero<p>Chances Hong Kong will extradite Snowden? Very low I think.
<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/22/us-usa-security-snowden-charges-idUSBRE95K18220130622" rel="nofollow">http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/22/us-usa-security-sn...</a><p>And they're urging Hong Kong to do it quickly. I wonder what the result of that will be.
So when a Chinese dissident tries to escape to the USA, all the Chinese have to do is charge them with espionage and ask the USA extradite them.<p>What a crazy, dangerous game.
Can we please stop this? If anyone wants to follow this story, she can go to cnn.com or news.google.com; let's please leave HN for interesting technical content. This is truly becoming tiring.